Parties of emerging centre-left coalition finalize policy program agreement

The three parties of the emerging centre-left coalition have reached agreement on the future government’s policy programme. The Social Democrats, ANO and the Christian Democrats met on Thursday to give the document final approval in the wake of several changes. The policy programme, which includes proposed tax changes as of 2015, a hike in the minimum wage and scraps direct payments for medical care, will be released to the press on Friday. Social Democrat leader and the country’s likely next prime minister Bohuslav Sobotka is to brief President Milos Zeman on the outcome of the talks on Thursday evening.